Trustworthy
by thisisalongname
Summary: Judy catches Nick pulling the same scam he pulled when they first met. She decides to follow and confront him.
1. Trustworthy

The ZPD changing room echoed with the sound of slamming lockers and muddled conversations. It was the end of the day shift, and officers were changing into their street clothes while discussing weekend plans. To many it was just normal background noise, but to Officer Judy Hopps it was wonderful. She loved the camaraderie that came from working on the force, especially after getting through those rough first few weeks.

Things had changed at the department after the Night Howler case. Most notably was how her co-workers treated her. Those on Chief Bogo's squad viewed Judy as their unofficial mascot. Though they would never admit it or do so in front of her, the other officers tended to protect her from the press or being teased by other squads. Her partner thought she should feel grateful she didn't have to talk to the press again, but mostly Judy felt annoyed.

Nicholas Wilde, her aforementioned partner, also felt the need to be protective of her. He would always be the lead on a bust or the one to do the knocking when they had to serve a warrant. It never bothered her when he acted protective, however, as she felt the same way about him. Like any good partnership they looked out for each other.

Since his graduation and placement as her official squad partner, they had spent a majority of their time together, both on and off the clock. She enjoyed slow nights laughing at bad B-movies at one of their places just as much as she did working with him to solve a difficult case. Every weekend and most weeknights they were either together or messaging one another until the prospect of an early morning shift reminded them to hit the hay.[1]

"So you want to use your place or mine tonight?" Judy asked, buttoning up a plaid shirt.

"Sorry, can't tonight, Carrots. Got some things I need to do," Nick said over his shoulder. He was facing a mirror inside his locker as he repeatedly tightened and loosened his tie.[2]

"Tomorrow, then?"

"Actually, I'll still be working on it tomorrow, too."

"Anything I can help with?"

Nick froze for half a second before responding. "No, sorry. It's just something I need to take care of myself." He turned and gave her an apologetic shrug.

Judy mostly succeeded in hiding her disappointment. "Oh, okay then."

"I'll call you Sunday and we can meet up then, if you're free?"

"Yeah, sounds great," she said, putting on a smile.

"Great, Sunday it is," he shut his locker and headed for the exit, tossing a wave over his shoulder. "Later, Carrots"

"Later," Judy said, returning his wave.

Once he disappeared from sight she let her smile drop and turned back toward her own locker. She didn't know why she felt so disappointed at not having her normal weekend plans; it wasn't like they _had_ to hang out every weekend. Thinking back on it, however, that had been the usual plan since his graduation three months ago. She not only had come to expect them to meet up, but had actually started looking forward to it. She could survive the change though; they both had lives outside of work and each other.

She could always call Fru Fru and plan a shopping trip or maybe meet Clawhauser for lunch. Having made up her mind, she closed her locker and stood to leave. She would not let an open Saturday go to waste and would prove that she had a life outside of work and Nick.[3]

* * *

She had no life outside of work or Nick, that much had been proven.

Fru Fru had to work overtime at her law firm finishing up paperwork and had no idea when she could break free.[4] Clawhauser had already made plans with his mysterious boyfriend and, despite her insistence, still wasn't ready to introduce him to his co-workers.[5]

So here she was, the rabbit who once dreamed of nothing more than trying everything Zootopia had to offer, face planted into a round table outside a coffee shop while her frozen coffee melted, grumbling to herself about boredom.[6] She had tried to go shopping but her budget was a little tight this time of the month and window shopping wasn't as fun when you were going alone. After wandering aimlessly downtown, she decided to get coffee and take a break.

When even wallowing in self-pity turned boring, Judy decided to admit defeat and go home. She could eat ice cream from a tub and binge watch WebFlix like a respectable recluse-in-training. With a groan she raised her head and took in her surroundings, trying to figure out how far from home she had walked. It was then she noticed she was across the street from the same ice cream parlor where she first met Nick.

Judy felt a small smile form as she pulled up the memory. Hard to believe it had only been 6 months since she first encountered the con-artist and fell hook, line and sinker for his act. After discovering his true intentions, she had thought nothing good could come from him. It was a rare instance where she was happy to have been proven wrong. She tried to picture how it looked from an outsider's perspective. She watched her figment-Judy, wearing the fluorescent orange vest of a meter maid, stalk across the street to spy on the fox. Hiding behind the cover as the figment-Nick made his way into the store. In fact, it was so vivid she could swear he was walking into the parlor right now.

Judy froze mid nostalgia. She wasn't just imagining it; he really was across the street walking into the ice cream parlor.

Not bothering to hold back a smile, Judy grabbed her drink and jumped down from her chair. She had only taken one step before hesitating. She wondered if it was right for her to just intrude into his day off. Nick had told her he was busy and would have invited her if he wanted her to tag along, right? Judy's short lived excitement dissipated and doubt took its place.

Was he growing tired of being around her so much? Were their normal weekend meet-ups starting to annoy him? She had assumed he enjoyed them as much as she did but never actually asked. No, he definitely would have said something if he hated it. Nick wasn't the type to beat around the bush when it came to stuff like that. So, why did he turn down her help? Maybe it was a date? A date with someone he never talked about or even hinted at being in a relationship with. A date so secretive that he couldn't even tell his _partner and friend_. One that involved elephant-sized frozen popsicle bars.

Judy's downward spiral came to a crashing halt. Elephant sized frozen popsicle bars? Where had that come from?

She then noticed that Nick had already left the parlor and was indeed carrying a giant red popsicle just like the first day they had met. More out of reflex than any cognitive decision, Judy ducked behind the table she had been sitting at.

She watched him stop and look around for a few seconds before turning and walking up the street. After getting halfway up the block, a red van with decals on the sides pulled up and he loaded the popsicle inside before jumping into the passenger seat. A van Judy instantly recognized as belonging to another con-artist and Nick's former partner, Finnick.[7]

* * *

Judy's mind waged an internal war as she rode the tram to Sahara Square. Her rational side was telling her to be logical; wait until she had all the facts and to think of all the possibilities before coming to a conclusion. To trust in her partner.

Her emotional side wanted to run up and strangle his neck and demand to know what the hell he was doing.

The rational side was winning, but only just.

Judy got off at the next stop and quickly raced to the outskirts. She had missed the first tram to leave after trying to follow them, so she was already way behind. She might have thought about slowing down so as not to alarm pedestrians as she sprinted down the street had her mind not been preoccupied. She was busy convincing herself that she would reach that building and Nick wouldn't be there. That he hadn't gone back to his old ways and she was just over thinking things. Maybe Finnick really did like those large popsicles and Nick was just being a good friend? There were plenty of logical reasons for having a giant popsicle that didn't involve immoral activities.

Nearing the spot she had first figured out Nick's con-artist ways, Judy slowed to a walk. She used the time before reaching the corner to catch her breath and psych herself up. She is going to round this corner and not see anyone. No melting popsicle on the roof or jars of juice being loaded into Finnick's van. Nope, she was going to see that she was wrong, chastise herself for not trusting her partner and maybe buy him dinner tomorrow to ease her guilty conscience. Just as soon as she... _beat some sense into his idiot head_!

She had reached the corner and nearly yelled out of irritation. Nick, with his police shades resting lightly on his snout, was hopping down from the roof just as Finnick was loading up the last jar. She was moving to give him the chewing out of a lifetime when they started the van and left.

Holding a mini tantrum session, Judy angrily mumbled inappropriate words[8] and kicked a stray can. She then calmed down, picked up the can, put it in a trash bin and put on an air of determination.[9] She had a partner that needed a lesson in what you should and shouldn't be doing, and she was dead set on giving it to him. Luckily[10], she knew exactly where he would be.

* * *

Not wanting to wait for the next tram, Judy flagged down a cab.[11] Once in Tundra Town; she quickly found Finnick's van and asked the driver to drop her off a block away. After making sure Nick was preoccupied with pouring juice into molds in the snow, she proceeded to stealthily make her way toward the field.

As she got closer and could see the real Nick, and not the fictionalized version she was pummeling in her head, she started having doubts. The long ride from Sahara Square had dulled her anger and she realized that he could have a good reason for making dozens of small, paw-shaped popsicles in the snow. _She_ couldn't think of one, but that didn't mean one didn't _exist_. He deserved at least one chance to explain before she confronted him.

Hiding behind a snow drift, Judy pulled out her phone. She quickly found his name in her address book and dialed. As she waited for him to answer she peeked around the edge. Nick had stopped pouring and set the jar down while he pulled his phone from his pocket. He briefly glanced at the caller ID before donning a smile.

"Carrots! What a nice surprise."

"Hi, Nick, just calling to see how your day was going."

"Aw, Carrots, were you feeling lonely? I didn't think you would miss me this much after just one day."

Even if she hadn't been able to see his teasing grin from her hiding spot, she would have still known he was wearing one since it almost oozed from his tone.

"Of course I miss my partner…"

His grin grew into a genuine smile.

"..who else is better at carrying my shopping bags?"

Judy almost burst out laughing as his face instantly went to a deadpan stare. It didn't last and his features softened again.

"Very funny, Carrots. So, what's the real reason you called? You're the type to text when you just want to chit-chat."

"Well, I was walking downtown earlier today when I thought I saw a fox carrying a giant popsicle. Was wondering if we passed each other?"

There was a short pause, "Hmm, not ringing any bells, Carrots; maybe another devilishly handsome fox?"

Keep calm Judy, he deflected but didn't deny it yet.

"So you weren't downtown today, near that ice cream parlor where we first met?" Judy listened closely.

There was an extended silence before he responded with an even tone. "Nope, wasn't me. I've been working all day with...a friend."

Judy's stomach dropped. She expected to feel anger, to be so mad she wouldn't be able to talk and only able to rush over and hit Nick until she felt better. What she didn't expect was for her heart to break.

This was Nick; her best friend and confidant. They always had each other's back, no matter the situation. He knew just what to say to make even her worst days a little brighter. When it came to others in her squad, Judy could hide how she really felt, but never from Nick. She trusted him.

And he had just _lied_ to her. Instead of wanting to wring his neck, Judy just felt like crying.

"Carrots? You still there?"

Judy didn't know when she had moved out from behind her hiding spot. She was too lost in thought to really control what she was doing or even remember crossing the dozen yards between her and Nick. One second she was still behind the snow drift, the next she was standing unnoticed behind him.

"Carrots, can you hear me?"

"Why?"

Nick spun around at hearing her voice.

"Carrots?! What are you doing here?" he took a step forward but she backed away.

Judy hugged her torso trying to ease the pain in her chest; her ears drooped behind her head.

"Just tell me why, Nick. I need to know why."

Nick shook his head as he recovered from his initial shock, "What do you mean?"

She merely looked at the ground behind him and he followed her gaze to the popsicles beginning to freeze. After a few seconds his face lit up with understanding.

"Carrots, this isn't what you think it is!"

"Then what is it?" Judy asked, barely able to speak past the lump in her throat.

She could see his face twist as he seemed to be mentally debating himself. He kept looking off to the side as if he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye.

"It's complicated, but I promise this isn't what you think it is."

"Then what is it, Nick?" Judy shouted, her anger temporarily winning out. "Tell me what it is, because all I can think is that my partner is going back to how he was and lying to me to do it. I want to believe you, Nick, but I'm finding it really hard to trust you right now. So please, give me something."

"I was going to tell you about all of this eventually, but I was embarrassed about it and wanted to get used to it before I did."

Judy didn't respond and simply waited. Realizing that she was waiting on him to continue, Nick scratched behind his head.

"I...I'm...it's hard for me to say out loud."

After seeing that no explanation was forthcoming, Judy took a shaky breath. Her heart couldn't take anymore and it took all of her willpower to keep from falling apart there in the snow. Her eyes found Nick's as she felt the first tear slide down her cheek.

"Goodbye, Nick" she said shakily before she turning and walking away.

"Carrots, wait!"

She kept on walking.

"Hopps, stop!"

Her tears were flowing freely down her face now.

"Stop! Just stop and I'll explain! Just stop. Please?"

Nick had caught up to her and jumped into her path. He got on his knees so he would be at eye level with her and placed his paws on her shoulders so she had no choice but to stop and face him.

"Just stop. Please? I'll tell you everything, just come back and let me."

She could see he was earnestly pleading with her. His ears were pinned back and his mouth slightly open in worry as he searched her features for a sign she had heard him. The usual confident mask he put on around everyone was gone. It was the just him, the real Nick, with his honest feelings on display.

"Please...don't leave."

Not trusting herself to speak, Judy nodded. She allowed him to lead her back, and she stood outside the back of Finnick's van. Motioning her to stay where she was, Nick took a deep breath before he went to the back doors and knocked.

"Nick, having Finnick back you up isn't really explaining anything."

"Just wait here, okay?"

Still not emotionally prepared to argue, she simply nodded and prepared to wait. A few moments later and the back door cracked open. Judy couldn't see inside from where she was standing but Nick was whispering something to Finnick before turning back towards her.

He held up his finger. "Just wait one minute, and then I promise everything will make sense."

With that he slipped into the back of the van. Judy took the time to wipe some of her tears and clean her face. Her thoughts drifted to what she would do if his explanation wasn't enough. Could she bring herself to tell the Chief? She didn't think she could, but something had to be done. She couldn't just let him throw away everything and go back to what he was doing before, living up to everyone's negative expectations. It was in the middle of those thoughts that the doors opened, bringing her back to the present.

Slowly, and with no small amount of trepidation on his face, Nicholas Wilde emerged from the back of the van, revealing both him and his former partner. Both of them were wearing the same outfit: green buttoned up shirts with matching shorts, a red neckerchief tied around their necks, white and green hats on their heads, and various ironed-on patches of survival badges. It was the universally recognized uniform of the Junior Ranger Scouts.

Judy continued to wait, still not grasping where this was going.

"I didn't con the ice cream parlor; they're our sponsors. And I wasn't making the popsicles to sell, they're for the kids," Nick nervously scratched behind his head as he stole sideways glances at Judy.

Not understanding, Judy spoke up, "What kids? And why are you both in those uniforms?"

Nick composed himself, took a deep breath and put his hands on his hips in a hero pose. "You are looking... at... thetwonewestjuniorrangerscoutmasters."

After ten seconds had been stretched into eternity, the lack of a response was starting to make Nick visibly nervous. Still maintaining his pose and forced smile, his eyes flicked briefly toward Judy several times as he tried to judge her reaction.

She just stared with a confused look on her face. "Nick, what are you talking about?"

"It's true, we are!"

"You are what? All I see is you and Finnick dressed up. How do I know this isn't just another scam?" Judy crossed her arms and began tapping her foot.

"Scam?" Nick said looking vexed and pointed between him and Finnick. "Why would we dress like this for a scam?"

Judy gave him a deadpan stare, "Why would you dress up in a disarming outfit meant to make people inherently trusting of you? Something like a Junior Ranger Scout, _or maybe an elephant onesie_?"

"Buh...wha..." Nick stuttered as if to respond but realized she had a point. With a groan he let his arms fall as he hunched over, deflated.

Finnick, who up till now had been standing in the back of the van with his arms crossed and doing his best to ignore everyone, took the opportunity to speak. "Just show her, man. It will be quicker than explaining."

* * *

With that, and bit of coaxing from Nick[12], Judy sat in the van while the two boys quickly gathered and stored the popsicles in the vans cooler. They then loaded up and took the highway out of Tundra Town. Judy found herself sharing the passenger seat with the uniformed Nick while Finnick drove. She had tried to ask some questions on the way, mainly where they were going and what was going on, but Nick just promised everything would make sense when they got there. So she took the time to compose herself in preparation for whatever they were going to show her.

"Our meeting isn't for a while, but some of them show up early to play in the park," said Nick as they pulled into a park on the edge of the city center.

Once the van came to a stop, he hopped out and held the door for her as she pointedly ignored his offered hand. Nick stood taller to search around and motioned in a direction once he found what he was looking for. She followed as he walked towards a shaded area that had a picnic table between two trees.

On and around the picnic table, in various states of sitting, jumping and running, was a group of five kids in Junior Ranger Scout uniforms. A lanky giraffe and hippo calf passed a soccer ball back and forth next to the picnic table while a fawn was lying on the ground; a book propped up against one of the trees. There was even a predator species among them, an otter pup who was pulling funny faces and causing the macaroni penguin chick on the picnic table to roll around in laughter. Judy felt herself smile as she looked at the next generation of Zootopia citizens get along so well. She then remembers the purpose of their trip and elbowed Nick to get his attention.

"Nick," she whispered in as threatening a tone as she could muster. "If you have these kids involved in a scam, so help me I'll shave you and handcuff you to a pole in the middle of Sahara Square."

Nick was about to make a smart remark but thought better of it after seeing her face. She was serious.

"Just trust me, Carrots. It will all make sense."

It was right then that one of the playing children noticed the three adults walking toward them and called to the others. They quickly made their way over and were soon lively and jumping in front of Nick.

"Scoutmaster Nick, I want to show you my new dribbling trick. First I take-"

"Scoutmaster, I forgot to bring a pillow so I don't-"

"-and then I drop it like this, whooooshe. And then-"

"Did you bring anything for us to eat? Huh? Huh?"

"-I'm sure I could ask my mom to bring it, but she will just tell me I shouldn't have forgotten it and-"

"-and that's all of it really, but it took a lot of work and I think it's _awesome!_ Don't you think so, too?"

Judy sat in silent shock from the sudden on sloughs of excitement. She looked at Nick and expected him to have a panicked look as he was swarmed by the hyperactive group, but instead he had a natural smile on his face and looked from kid to kid while nodding.

"Alright, alright, everyone calm down and one at a time."

The young penguin chick was pulling on Nick's' pants leg and he knelt down to hear him better.

"Mwister Wilde, um, I mean Scwout Master Nick. I made that knot that I was having twouble with just like you showed me." The chick proudly held up a short piece of rope tied into a complex knot. Nick gently patted his head and gave him a confident grin, "What did I tell you, Pip? All it takes is a little practice and you can do it." Pip beamed back at Nick and seemed to practically bounce in place out of excitement.

Judy watched all this from a few feet away, unknowingly sporting a large smile of her own. Nick noticed her and stood back up. "Hey scouts, we still have 20 minutes before we start so you can keep playing while I have a talk with my friend."

The group looked over at Judy and she gave a small wave. Some of them smiled and waved back while the otter pup turned back to Nick. "Who is that, Scoutmaster? Is she your girlfriend?"

Nick flinched and hurriedly replied, "Um, No, heh. This is my _partner_ , Judy Hopps."

The kids let out an 'Oh' as one, with the hippo turning to look at him, "Isn't that the officer you always talk about and that you say looks..."

Nick quickly put his paw over the calf's mouth and gave a nervous chuckle. "Professional, yep, looks very professional. Now go over there and give us some space or I won't share any of the marshmallows I brought." The group quickly ran away with a mix of 'NOOO' and giggling.

Nick watched them leave before turning back toward Judy. He seemed less confident, like he was out of his element, but still trying to play it off as natural. "Sorry about that, they get excited when I show up and it can take some getting used to." He pointed at a bench not far from the walkway they were on and they both took a seat.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Judy turned to speak.

"Nick, I'm…"

"Judy, I'm sorry."

She stopped mid-sentence, surprised by Nick using her first name.

"I should have just been honest and told you months ago," he turned from looking at the ground to looking at her. "I just couldn't find a way to tell you and I felt embarrassed about it and every time I put it off, it got harder and harder to bring it up." He sighed as he leaned back.

"And then, when you called today and asked if I had been at that ice cream parlor, I panicked. I thought if I said yes, you couldn't help but let that 'detective brain' take over," he smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "You would want to stop by there and then you would find out everything. I was afraid you would laugh at me."

Judy opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her.

"I know you wouldn't; you're too good of a friend to do something like that. It wasn't a rational fear, but I still felt it anyways."

He then cast his eyes downward and his paws were wringing nervously in his lap.

"But I shouldn't have lied to you. You had every right to be suspicious, with how we first met and all, and I am so, so sorry."

Judy watched as he raised his head and his eyes met hers. She gave him a soft smile and nodded. She felt relief; relief that he was still her best friend; relief that he was not becoming what he used to be, what he thought he had to be. She felt her heart warm, and the pain she had felt less than an hour ago become a distant memory.

"I forgive you, Nick," Judy stood on the bench so she could be at eye level. "And I'm sorry too, for...you know...stalking you." Judy gave a bashful shrug.

Nick couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, Carrots; for trying to look out for me." He then pulled her into a hug they both needed, one that showed that everything was going to be okay.

After the hug that lasted just as long as it needed too, which was just on the brink of being awkward, they separated and Judy sat back down. They stayed in a comfortable silence, enjoying the warmth of being together. But eventually, the nagging questions from earlier began to pop up.

"Soooo... Junior Ranger Scoutmaster, huh?"

Nick chuckled, "Yeah, who would have thought?"

"When did you even find the time for all this?"

He pondered the question, "Well, after surviving the 'Judy Hopps Pre-Boot Camp, Boot Camp' for a month." Judy tried and failed to not blush as she remembered how she _may_ have overdone it due to the excitement of Nick becoming her partner. "After that, actual boot camp ended up being a breeze, so I had more time on my hands than I had expected.

"A local Junior Ranger Scout pack had been using the police drill yard for activities and the Scoutmaster and I hit it off. He gave me the manual to read in my off time and I took the test to become an official scoutmaster."

Judy had learned to read her partners expressions over the months they had spent together, but even if she hadn't it would have been easy to see how proud he was of going through with it. She couldn't help but feel proud of him, too.

"But since I had never actually been a Junior Ranger Scout before, I had to put in some hours under another scoutmaster as an assistant." Nick pointed at the group by the picnic table now having a contest to see who could balance the most pinecones on their noses. "This is the group I trained with. It's why I was busy most Tuesdays and Thursdays," he said as he looked down at her.

"So you are the assistant-scoutmaster?" Judy asked.

"Not anymore," Nick straightened up and sat taller. "As of two weeks ago, due to this pack's scoutmaster telling me, and I'm quoting here, 'I'm tired and can't do it anymore so it's all yours,' I am the official head scoutmaster of Zootopia Pack #744."

Judy almost fell over backwards from laughing so hard. Seeing Nick look so serious and confident in that hat and short-shorts clashed so much with how she knew him that she couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sorry," _*ha ha*_ "it's just so not like the usual you." _*ha ha*_

He tried to feign being insulted but he couldn't hide his smile and soon joined her. After a minute of heavy laughter, some of it because of how he looked, but mostly out of release of the pressure that had built up over this whole mess, they managed to calm down and wipe their eyes.

"Sorry about ditching on our normal weekend plans, but we have a big camping trip for all the packs this summer. I wanted them to get one night of practice setting up a campsite and sleeping outside before then."

Judy waved her paw, "I understand, though now you don't have to be so cloak-and-dagger about it." Nick just rolled his eyes and bumped her with his elbow. "Though," Judy said, "I do wonder how you talked Finnick into helping you."

Nick didn't respond, he just smiled and pointed across the park. Judy followed his finger to where he was gesturing and could see Finnick near the edge of the park talking to a female antelope. Her calf was at her feet, wearing his own Junior Ranger Scout outfit and looking bored, while Finnick was obviously flirting with his mom.

Judy groaned while Nick couldn't help but laugh. "I just told him about some of the perks," he said before grunting from the punch Judy landed on his arm. They settled into a comfortable silence afterwards, just happy that things were back to normal.

Judy then remembered what the kids had brought up earlier and had turned to ask Nick what they meant when the hippo calf came running up with a young fox kit in tow.

"SCOUTMASTER NICK," he yelled as neared them, before pausing to catch his breath from running and yelling at the same time.

"What is it, Terry?" said Nick, waiting for the calf to recover.

"This is my friend, Nate." He gestured to the fox that had come to a stop beside him.

Nick looked down to address the new boy. "Nice to meet you, Nate. I'm Scoutmaster Nick." He shook the young boy's hand. "What can I do for you two?"

"He wants to be a Junior Ranger Scout, too."

Nick put on a big smile and turned to the kit, "Is that right? You ready to be a part of this pack?"

The young fox put on a confident smirk. "Yes sir, I was practically _born_ ready."

Judy saw Nick freeze up at what the boy said. It was only briefly and she was sure only she had noticed. He smoothly recovered, "Well, Nate, we usually have a whole ritual for initiation. However, today we have important training and I wouldn't want you to miss out. Do you know the oath?"

The kit stood straighter. "Yes sir, I do."

"Alright, then let's hear it and we'll do all the bells and whistles some other day." Nick stood up from the bench and into a military stance, his feet placed together and his paws firmly at his sides, the kit copying his actions. "Raise your right paw and give the oath."

Judy watched Nick carefully. She could see, despite his stiff stance, all the little things that let her read him.

"I, Nate Sly, promise to be..."

How his eyes light up with joy.

"...brave…"

The way the edges of his mouth strained to keep from grinning.

"...loyal..."

How he stood straighter; his chest swelling with pride.

"...helpful…"

How he silently mouthed the words along with the kit.

"...and trustworthy."

For the second time today she could see the real Nick. The one he always felt he had to hide; even from her. She watched _that_ Nick and felt an enormous gratitude that he was a part of her life.

After the oath, Nick let his smile break free. He began undoing his neckerchief as he knelt. "Here." He tied the neckerchief around the kit's neck. "We'll get you your own uniform next week." He then placed his hat on the kits head and ruffled it.

The young fox beamed as his friend started to pull him away. "Come on, Nate; let's go ask your mom about camping with us." With a quick wave, the two boys raced away.

Judy's face was beginning to hurt from how much she had smiled today, a nice surprise considering how the day had started. Nick didn't even bother to turn and look at her. "If you tell anyone about this, Carrots, I'll hide pieces of your uniform in every high place I can find for a month."

Judy chuckled before sealing her lips with a pretend key and throwing it away. As they watched the children leave, she did have one question. She hopped down from the bench to go stand by him.

"Nick, did that hippo calf have a badge for Three-Card Monte on his uniform?"

"Look at the time; we really have a lot of prep work to do and I'm sure you have plans of your own so we should all get to that." He nudged her back the way they had come. It seemed he hasn't left all of his street days behind, but Judy merely rolled her eyes and let it slide.

"Alright, you seem to have everything under control here, _Scoutmaster_ Nick." She made to leave, but stopped when an idea for some payback struck her, something to make him think about her for a whole day like she had been forced to do about him. She turned to face him again and moved closer to where he stood.

"There was something I did want to tell you, Nick." He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"I was telling the truth earlier, on the phone."

Lost on what she meant, he tilted his head in confusion. After looking around in mock bashfulness, Judy waved him closer and he leaned down so she could whisper into his ear.

"I really did miss you, and not just for the 'carrying my bags' part."

She quickly kissed on the cheek before making an about face and almost skipping away. His initial perplexed look turned into a goofy grin as he watched her leave, his left paw rubbing his cheek. She heard him start to ask what that meant, but the kids had seen it all and had started tittering and teasing him before the words came.

Judy Hopps left the park feeling the same way she had felt every day since Nick came into her life. Like she had everything she needed and she couldn't be happier.

* * *

 **Notes**

Shout out to story_monger and another anonymous member for editing/proofreading. A better story because of their help.

[1] - He tended to be the one needing reminding.

[2] - He would say his tie had to say, "laid back, yet professional."

[3] - Mostly to herself as no one else had assumed she didn't.

[4] - She was a very talented lawyer contrary to the rich-mob-daughter stereotype and had even worked as a consultant on a few of Judy and Nick's cases.

[5] - Which was civil and polite and in no way begging Ben to introduce her to him.

[6] - If they listened closely enough, nearby patrons could hear mumbling that sounded oddly like "abandoned" and "no friends" but would just chalk it up to the wind.

[7] - One of the few to actually deserve the title of "artist".

[8] - Inappropriate by her definition, Nick just thinks they are cute.

[9] - Even though she was furious, that still didn't excuse littering.

[10] - For her, not so much for him.

[11] - It had cost her **Z** 35, which she would make Nick pay for.

[12] - A promise of indentured servitude for life as collateral was involved.


	2. Bonus Chapter

The beaver pup was sitting heavily among a pile of scattered papers and painting supplies. He rubbed his eyes, sniffling hard to keep from crying but still the tears kept coming.

"Look at the bucktooth baby, he's crying." The three standing over him laughed mockingly, the lion cub leading the group being the loudest. All Gavin wanted to do was paint, as it was the only thing he was good at, but every day he would get knocked down or shoved into a locker by Leon and his two wolf pup lackeys. They mocked him for having big teeth and a weird tail, but he was a beaver and there was nothing he could do about it. He hated this feeling of being weak and different. He was starting to cry in earnest when a shout stopped him.

"Leave him alone!"

All four of them looked to see a fox kit running up the hall. The red fox wasn't familiar to Gavin but he was wearing the school uniform so he must go here, though the red neckerchief around his neck was not part of the uniform. He reached them and stood between the three bullies and their target. Leon balled his fists as he towered over the newcomer.

"What is a sneaky fox doing protecting a bucktooth? My dad says all you foxes do is steal, lie and cheat."

The kit didn't back down and confident grin grew on his face. "You forgot the other thing we do."

"Hmph, what's that?"

"Put everything we stole in three bullies lockers and tell the principal so they take the blame."

"What!?"

The cubs reared back in shock, fear setting in.

"Better run fast if you want to beat the principle."

All three of them turned and sprinted down the hall, Leon calling over his shoulder. "This isn't over fox." The fox snorted, mumbling something that sounded like 'cliche' under his breath.

After the group had turned the corner, the fox looked down at Gavin. Taking a moment to look at everything on the ground before he silently started gathering it up. Gavin rolled to his knees and also began to pick up his stuff. "Thanks, for taking care of those guys for me."

"They won't stop if you just let them get away with it. You gotta stand up for yourself." He didn't look up from what he was doing.

"Yeah, but I'm not tough like you. That was amazing what you did! Did you really hide stolen stuff in their lockers?" The fox stopped and gave him a disgruntled look. "No, just because I'm a fox doesn't mean I steal things. I just said that so they would leave."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean anything like that. I'm Gavin, by the way."

"Nate." He reached out and shook the beavers paw.

Gavin wiped his face to clear some of his tears. "Sorry, I know boys aren't supposed to cry but I can't help it."

"Nah, it's cool. I cry sometimes too."

"Really? You seemed so confident when they were saying you were a liar and a thief; I would have probably started crying again."

"Scoutmaster Nick says you can't let the bullies see that they get to you."

"Oh," Gavin looked down, feeling dispirited about how pathetic he must be to let things get to him so much. Nate put a paw on his shoulder. "But he also said it's ok to let your friends know, since they're the ones who can help."

Gavin looked up with a tentative smile. "We're friends?"

Nate looked nervous about such a simple question and scratched behind his head. "Yeah, I mean, if you don't mind being friends with a fox."

"Would I mind? You're the coolest mammal I've ever met."

Nate couldn't help but smile as he handed over the supplies he had picked up. "Well, since we're friends, I'll walk with you in case the three stooges come back. Where were you going?"

"I was going to the art room. I have a painting and I like to work on it during free time."

"Wow, really? Are you any good?"

"I guess, but Mrs. Holland is way better than me."

"Hey, you can't be comparing yourself to the teacher; she has like a hundred years of practice. I bet you're way better than me. I tried painting a birdhouse once with the Junior Ranger Scouts and it came out looking like pond muck."

"What are the Junior Ranger Scouts?" Gavin asked.

Nate almost tripped in surprise, "You haven't heard of the Junior Ranger Scouts? Oh man, I have so much to tell you. You should come to our meetings; I know you'll like it." Their voices slowly faded as they walked up the hall.

Unbeknownst to either boy, a teacher had been in the room next to where everything had taken place.

Katie Sly was doing her best to relax in the few short hours she had between getting off of work and Nate coming home from the park. She sat on the small couch in the living room of their duplex and had a fresh cup of tea to help in releasing the day's tensions. With the life insurance from her late husband having paid off their house and plenty leftover for savings, she only needed to work part time and could spend time being home with her son.

Having not to worry about finances helped, but it was still far from easy raising a fox kit on her own. After his father died four years ago, Nate started doing worse in school and getting into fights. She thought it was a coping mechanism and he would grow out of it as he got older and the sting faded, but he only seemed to get worse. He wouldn't ever tell her the reasons behind each fight and punishments seemed to have no effect on him. It wasn't until later that teachers had told her some of the other children had called Nate a thieving fox, just like his dad. She wished she could help him not let those things hurt, but even to her they hurt to hear. It didn't help that he wouldn't talk to her about it and wasn't very close to any teachers or adults who she could turn to. His only friend up until a few months ago was a hippo calf named Terry, but even then Nate remained guarded.

She was surprised when he came home early last month begging to go camping with Terry and some friends. Katie was leery at first, but Terry's mother, Bethanie, had talked her into it. She had said the new Scoutmaster was a police officer, and a fox, and that he could be a good role model for Nate. So Katie hesitantly agreed, hoping for the best. She couldn't be more pleased with the results.

Nate seemed genuinely happy and less guarded for the first time years. She spent many afternoons listening intently to him gush about things he had learned at scout meetings and every funny thing that happened to the Scoutmaster or other scouts. Katie was content to smile and nod along, enjoying every minute of it. As a plus, his grades were improving and she hadn't received a phone call about him getting into a fight since. Things were looking up for the family of two, and Katie was happy to enjoy a relaxing moment drinking tea before it was back to the job of motherhood.

She had barely taken a sip when the phone rang. Setting her cup down, she picked up the handset.

"Hello."

"Hello, I'm looking for a Mrs. Katie Sly." A male voice came over the receiver.

"This is her. May I ask who is calling?"

"Yes, I am Mr. Deerson. I teach Zooish at Nate's school. I was wondering if you had a moment to discuss what I witnessed your son do today?"

Katie refrained from groaning as she recalled the many calls like this in the past. It seemed that Nate's good behavior was only a temporary thing. She mentally prepared herself before responding.

"Yes, I have the time."

"Excellent. It started when I heard a commotion in the hall outside my room during a break period. I was just about to intervene when..."

Katie's paw slowly rose to her mouth as she heard Mr. Deerson's story. He told her all the details and how he planned to recommend Nate for the Student of Excellence award for the end of the year. By the end of it her eyes were wet as she was overwhelmed. She was doing her best not to sniffle loud enough for the phone to pick up and tried to keep her voice even.

"He really did all that?"

"Yes ma'am. And I have to say, in all my fifteen years of teaching, it was one of the bravest things I have ever seen. You should be very proud of your son."

"I am. Thank you for telling me, Mr. Deerson."

"And don't worry about those other three, I am having a chat with their parents next."

"I would very much appreciate that. Thank you."

"My pleasure, ma'am. Have a good evening, Mrs. Sly"

"You too, goodnight."

Katie set the phone on the port and leaned back against the couch. She wiped the wetness from her eyes before looking over at the picture of her husband on the side table and picking it up. "Did you hear that, George? Our son is growing into a fine man." Her fingers stroked his face before setting the frame back down. With new energy she made her way into the kitchen, thinking that her brave little man deserved some pie for dessert. With a song on her lips, she set about gathering the ingredients when she caught a glimpse of green and stopped. Nate's Junior Scout Rangers hat was hanging from the hat rack near the kitchen door and reminded her that there was someone else who also deserved a reward pie. Pulling out a second pan, she absentmindedly wondered if he liked blueberries.


End file.
